A medical dictionary is a dictionary of terms used in the field of medicine. Also see [[pocket medical dictionary]]
{{Short description|Specialized dictionary covering medicine terms}}
==Dictionary of medicine==
{{For|this functionality on Wikipedia|Glossary of medicine}}
[[File:A medical dictionary for nurses (1914).jpg|thumb|Definition page from Amy Pope's 'A medical dictionary for nurses' (1914)]]
A '''medical dictionary''' is a [[lexicon]] for words used in [[medicine]]. The four major medical dictionaries in the [[United States]] are ''[[Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions]]'', ''[[Stedman's]]'', ''[[Taber's]]'', and [[Dorland's Medical Dictionary|''Dorland's'']]. Other significant medical dictionaries are distributed by [[Elsevier]]. Dictionaries often have multiple versions, with content adapted for different user groups. For example Stedman's Concise Medical Dictionary and Dorland's are for general use and allied health care, while the full text editions are reference works used by medical students, doctors, and health professionals. Medical dictionaries are commonly available in print, online, or as downloadable [[software]] packages for [[personal computer]]s and [[smartphone]]s.
* '''[[Homo sapiens]]''' - the only surviving hominid; species to which modern man belongs; bipedal primate having language and ability to make and use complex tools; brain volume at least 1400 cc
== History ==
* '''[[Laceration]]''' - the act of lacerating; a torn ragged wound
[[File:James's medical dictionary, explanation of the tables Wellcome L0022702.jpg|thumb|A page from Robert James's ''
* '''[[Microcephaly]]''' - an abnormally small head and underdeveloped brain
* '''[[Movement]]''' - the act of changing the location of something; the driving and regulating parts of a mechanism (as of a watch or clock); a major self-contained part of a symphony or sonata; a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something; a group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals; the act of changing location from one place to another; a change of position that does not entail a change of location; a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; a general tendency to change (as of opinion); an optical illusion of motion produced by viewing a rapid succession of still pictures of a moving object; a euphemism for defecation
* '''[[Myeloid leukemia]]''' - chronic leukemia characterized by granular leukocytes; more common in older people
* '''[[abdomen]]''' - the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis; the cavity containing the major viscera; in mammals it is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm
* '''[[abdominal cavity]]''' - the cavity containing the major viscera; in mammals it is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm
* '''[[abdominal muscle]]''' - the muscles of the abdomen
* '''[[abdominal pregnancy]]''' - ectopic pregnancy in the abdominal cavity
* '''[[abducens nerve]]''' - a small motor nerve supplying the lateral rectus muscle of the eye
* '''[[abetalipoproteinemia]]''' - a rare inherited disorder of fat metabolism; characterized by severe deficiency of beta-lipoproteins and abnormal red blood cells (acanthocytes) and abnormally low cholesterol levels
* '''[[ablation]]''' - surgical removal of a body part or tissue; the erosive process that reduces the size of glaciers
* '''[[abnormal]]''' - much greater than the normal; not normal; not typical or usual or regular or conforming to a norm; departing from the normal in e.g. intelligence and development
* '''[[abomasum]]''' - the fourth compartment of the stomach of a ruminant; the one where digestion takes place
* '''[[abrasion]]''' - erosion by friction; an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice
* '''[[abruptio placentae]]''' - a disorder of pregnancy in which the placenta prematurely separates from the wall of the uterus
* '''[[abscess]]''' - symptom consisting of a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue
* '''[[abulia]]''' - a loss of will power
* '''[[acanthocephala]]''' - phylum or class of elongated wormlike parasites that live in the intestines of vertebrates: spiny-headed worms
* '''[[acanthocyte]]''' - an abnormal red blood cell that has thorny projections of protoplasm
* '''[[acantholysis]]''' - a breakdown of a cell layer in the epidermis (as in pemphigus)
* '''[[acanthoma]]''' - a neoplasm originating in the epidermis
* '''[[acanthosis nigricans]]''' - a skin disease characterized by dark wartlike patches in the body folds; can be benign or malignant
* '''[[accessory nerve]]''' - arises from two sets of roots (cranial and spinal) that unite to form the nerve
* '''[[acclimatization]]''' - adaptation to a new climate (a new temperature or altitude or environment)
* '''[[accreditation]]''' - the act of granting credit or recognition (especially with respect to educational institution that maintains suitable standards)
* '''[[ace inhibitor]]''' - antihypertensive drug that blocks the formation of angiotensin in the kidney, leading to relaxation of the arteries; promotes the excretion of salt and water by inhibiting the activity of the angiotensin converting enzyme; also used to treat congestive heart failure
* '''[[acebutolol]]''' - an oral beta blocker (trade name Sectral) used in treating hypertension
* '''[[acetaldehyde]]''' - a colorless volatile water-soluble liquid aldehyde used chiefly in manufacture of acetic acid and perfumes and drugs
* '''[[acetaminophen]]''' - an analgesic for mild pain; also used as an antipyretic; (Datril, Tylenol, Panadol, Phenaphen, Tempra, and Anacin III are trademarks of brands of acetaminophen tablets)
* '''[[acetate]]''' - a salt or ester of acetic acid; a fabric made from fibers of cellulose acetate
* '''[[acetic acid]]''' - a colorless pungent liquid widely used in manufacturing plastics and pharmaceuticals
* '''[[acetone]]''' - the simplest ketone; a highly inflammable liquid widely used as an organic solvent and as material for making plastics
* '''[[acetylation]]''' - the process of introducing an acetyl group into a compound
* '''[[acetylcholine]]''' - a neurotransmitter that is a derivative of choline; released at the ends of nerve fibers in the somatic and parasympathetic nervous systems
* '''[[achilles tendon]]''' - a large tendon that runs from the heel to the calf
* '''[[achlorhydria]]''' - an abnormal deficiency or absence of free hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice; often associated with severe anemias and cancer of the stomach
* '''[[achondroplasia]]''' - an inherited skeletal disorder beginning before birth; cartilage is converted to bone resulting in dwarfism
* '''[[acid]]''' - having the characteristics of an acid; harsh or corrosive in tone; being sour to the taste; street name for lysergic acid diethylamide; any of various water-soluble compounds having a sour taste and capable of turning litmus red and reacting with a base to form a salt
* '''[[acidosis]]''' - abnormally high acidity (excess hydrogen-ion concentration) of the blood and other body tissues
* '''[[acne vulgaris]]''' - the most common form of acne; usually affects people from puberty to young adulthood
* '''[[acne]]''' - an inflammatory disease involving the sebaceous glands of the skin; characterized by papules or pustules or comedones
* '''[[acoustic nerve]]''' - a composite sensory nerve supplying the hair cells of the vestibular organ and the hair cells of the cochlea
* '''[[acrolein]]''' - a pungent colorless unsaturated liquid aldehyde made from propene
* '''[[acromegaly]]''' - enlargement of bones of hands and feet and face; often accompanied by headache and muscle pain and emotional disturbances; caused by overproduction of growth hormone by the anterior pituitary gland (due to a tumor)
* '''[[acromion]]''' - the outermost point of the spine of the shoulder blade
* '''[[acrosome]]''' - a process at the anterior end of a sperm cell that produces enzymes to facilitate penetration of the egg
* '''[[acrylamide]]''' - a white crystalline amide of propenoic acid can damage the nervous system and is carcinogenic in laboratory animals
* '''[[acrylonitrile]]''' - a colorless liquid unsaturated nitrile made from propene
* '''[[actin]]''' - one of the proteins into which actomyosin can be split; can exist in either a globular or a fibrous form
* '''[[actinic keratosis]]''' - an overgrowth of skin layers resulting from extended exposure to the sun
* '''[[actinomyces]]''' - soil-inhabiting saprophytes and disease-producing plant and animal parasites
* '''[[actinomycetales]]''' - filamentous or rod-shaped bacteria
* '''[[actinomycin]]''' - any of various red antibiotics isolated from soil bacteria
* '''[[actinomycosis]]''' - disease of cattle that can be transmitted to humans; results from infection with actinomycetes; characterized by hard swellings that exude pus through long sinuses
* '''[[action potential]]''' - the local voltage change across the cell wall as a nerve impulse is transmitted
* '''[[acupressure]]''' - treatment of symptoms by applying pressure with the fingers to specific pressure points on the body
* '''[[acute kidney failure]]''' - renal failure associated with burns or other trauma or with acute infection or obstruction of the urinary tract
* '''[[acute lymphocytic leukemia]]''' - acute leukemia characterized by proliferation of immature lymphoblast-like cells in bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, and blood; most common in children
* '''[[acute]]''' - having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course; of critical importance and consequence; extremely sharp or intense; having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; of an angle; less than 90 degrees; ending in a sharp point; a mark (') placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation
* '''[[acyclovir]]''' - an oral antiviral drug (trade name Zovirax) used to treat genital herpes; does not cure the disease but relieves the symptoms
* '''[[addison's disease]]''' - a glandular disorder caused by failure of function of the cortex of the adrenal gland and marked by anemia and prostration with brownish skin
* '''[[adenine]]''' - (biochemistry) purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA
* '''[[adenocarcinoma]]''' - malignant tumor originating in glandular epithelium
* '''[[adenoidectomy]]''' - surgical removal of the adenoids; commonly performed along with tonsillectomy
* '''[[adenoma]]''' - a benign epithelial tumor of glandular origin
* '''[[adenomatous polyp]]''' - a polyp that consists of benign neoplastic tissue derived from glandular epithelium
* '''[[adenosine deaminase]]''' - an enzyme found in mammals that can catalyze the deamination of adenosine into inosine and ammonia
* '''[[adenosine diphosphate]]''' - an ester of adenosine that is converted to ATP for energy storage
* '''[[adenosine monophosphate]]''' - a nucleotide found in muscle cells and important in metabolism; reversibly convertible to ADP and ATP
* '''[[adenosine triphosphate]]''' - a nucleotide derived from adenosine that occurs in muscle tissue; the major source of energy for cellular reactions
* '''[[adenosine]]''' - (biochemistry) a nucleoside that is a structural component of nucleic acids; it is present in all living cells in a combined form as a constituent of DNA and RNA and ADP and ATP and AMP
* '''[[adenosis]]''' - a disorder of the glands of the body
* '''[[adenovirus]]''' - any of a group of viruses including those that in humans cause upper respiratory infections or infectious pinkeye
* '''[[adipose tissue]]''' - a kind of body tissue containing stored fat that serves as a source of energy; it also cushions and insulates vital organs
* '''[[adoption]]''' - the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception; a legal proceeding that creates a parent-child relation between persons not related by blood; the adopted child is entitled to all privileges belonging to a natural child of the adoptive parents (including the right to inherit); the appropriation (of ideas or words etc) from another source
* '''[[adrenal cortex]]''' - the cortex of the adrenal gland; secretes corticosterone and sex hormones
* '''[[adrenal gland]]''' - either of a pair of complex endocrine glands situated near the kidney
* '''[[adrenal medulla]]''' - the medulla of the adrenal gland; secretes epinephrine
* '''[[adrenalectomy]]''' - surgical removal of one or both adrenal glands
* '''[[adsorption]]''' - the accumulation of molecules of a gas to form a thin film on the surface of a solid
* '''[[adventitia]]''' - an enveloping or covering membrane or layer of body tissue
* '''[[aerobic exercise]]''' - exercise that increases the need for oxygen
* '''[[aerobic]]''' - depending on free oxygen or air; based on or using the principles of aerobics; enhancing respiratory and circulatory efficiency
* '''[[aerobiosis]]''' - life sustained in the presence of air or oxygen
* '''[[aerosol]]''' - a dispenser that holds a substance under pressure and that can release it as a fine spray (usually by means of a propellant gas); a cloud of solid or liquid particles in a gas
* '''[[afferent neuron]]''' - a neuron conducting impulses inwards to the brain or spinal cord
* '''[[afibrinogenemia]]''' - the absence of fibrinogen in the plasma leading to prolonged bleeding
* '''[[aflatoxin]]''' - a potent carcinogen from the fungus Aspergillus; can be produced and stored for use as a bioweapon
* '''[[agammaglobulinemia]]''' - a rare immunological disorder characterized by the virtual absence of gamma globulin in the blood and consequent susceptibility to infection
* '''[[agaricales]]''' - typical gilled mushrooms belonging to the subdivision Basidiomycota
* '''[[age]]''' - how long something has existed; a time in life (usually defined in years) at which some particular qualification or power arises; a late time of life; a prolonged period of time; an era of history having some distinctive feature; verb begin to seem older; get older; make older; grow old or older
* '''[[agent orange]]''' - a herbicide used in the Vietnam War to defoliate forest areas
* '''[[agglutination test]]''' - a blood test used to identify unknown antigens; blood with the unknown antigen is mixed with a known antibody and whether or not agglutination occurs helps to identify the antigen; used in tissue matching and blood grouping and diagnosis of infections
* '''[[agglutinin]]''' - an antibody that causes agglutination of a specific antigen
* '''[[aggression]]''' - violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked; deliberately unfriendly behavior; the act of initiating hostilities; a disposition to behave aggressively; a feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack
* '''[[aging]]''' - growing old; the organic process of growing older and showing the effects of increasing age; acquiring desirable qualities by being left undisturbed for some time
* '''[[agitation]]''' - the act of agitating something; causing it to move around (usually vigorously); disturbance usually in protest; the feeling of being agitated; not calm; a state of agitation or turbulent change or development; a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance
* '''[[agnosia]]''' - inability to recognize objects by use of the senses
* '''[[agonist]]''' - (biochemistry) a drug that can combine with a receptor on a cell to produce a physiological reaction; a muscle that contracts while another relaxes; someone involved in a contest or battle (as in an agon); the principal character in a work of fiction
* '''[[agoraphobia]]''' - a morbid fear of open spaces (as fear of being caught alone in some public place)
* '''[[agranulocytosis]]''' - an acute blood disorder (often caused by radiation or drug therapy) characterized by severe reduction in granulocytes
* '''[[agraphia]]''' - a loss of the ability to write or to express thoughts in writing because of a brain lesion
* '''[[agriculture]]''' - the class of people engaged in growing food; the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock; a large-scale farming enterprise; the federal department that administers programs that provide services to farmers (including research and soil conservation and efforts to stabilize the farming economy); created in 1862
* '''[[agrobacterium tumefaciens]]''' - the bacteria that produce crown gall disease in plants
* '''[[agrobacterium]]''' - small motile bacterial rods that can reduce nitrates and cause galls on plant stems
* '''[[aids]]''' - a serious (often fatal) disease of the immune system transmitted through blood products especially by sexual contact or contaminated needles
* '''[[air embolism]]''' - obstruction of the circulatory system caused by an air bubble as, e.g., accidentally during surgery or hypodermic injection or as a complication from scuba diving; pain resulting from rapid change in pressure
* '''[[akinesia]]''' - motionlessness attributable to a temporary paralysis
* '''[[alanine]]''' - a crystalline amino acid that occurs in many proteins
* '''[[albinism]]''' - the congenital absence of pigmentation in the eyes and skin and hair
* '''[[albumin]]''' - a simple water-soluble protein found in many animal tissues and liquids
* '''[[albuminuria]]''' - the presence of excessive protein (chiefly albumin but also globulin) in the urine; usually a symptom of kidney disorder
Definition page from Amy Pope's 'A medical dictionary for nurses' (1914)
A medical dictionary is a lexicon for words used in medicine. The four major medical dictionaries in the United States are Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions, Stedman's, Taber's, and Dorland's. Other significant medical dictionaries are distributed by Elsevier. Dictionaries often have multiple versions, with content adapted for different user groups. For example Stedman's Concise Medical Dictionary and Dorland's are for general use and allied health care, while the full text editions are reference works used by medical students, doctors, and health professionals. Medical dictionaries are commonly available in print, online, or as downloadable software packages for personal computers and smartphones.
A page from Robert James's A Medicinal Dictionary; London, 1743-45An illustration from Appleton's Medical Dictionary; edited by S. E. Jelliffe (1916)
The earliest known glossaries of medical terms were discovered on Egyptian papyrus authored around 1600 B.C.<ref>HE,
A History of Medicine. I. Primitive and Archaic Medicine,
New York:Oxford University Press,
1950,
Pages: 298-318,</ref> Other precursors to modern medical dictionaries include lists of terms compiled from the Hippocratic Corpus in the first century AD.<ref>Craik, Elizabeth,
The Lexicographer Erotian as a Guide to the Hippocratic Corpus,
JASCA (Japan Studies in Classical Antiquity),
Vol. 3,
pp. 3-16,
Full text,</ref><ref name=":0">Ambrose, Charles,
A Short History of Medical Dictionaries,
The Pharos of Alpha Omega Alpha-Honor Medical Society,
Vol. 68(Issue: 2),
pp. 24–27,
Full text,</ref>
A Review of the First Book on the Diseases of the Eye, by Benvenutus Grassus, 1474: Exhibition of Three Other Fifteenth Century Monographs (a) The First Medical Dictionary, Synonyma Simonis Genuensis, 1473; (b) The First Book on Diet, By Isaac, 1487, (c) The Second Edition of The First Book on Diseases of Children, By Paulus Bagellardus, 1487.,
Med Library Hist J.,
Vol. 3(Issue: 1),
pp. 27–40,
PMID: 18340862,
PMC: 1692319,</ref> However, this claim is disputed as the composition only included lists of herbs and drugs.<ref name=":0" /> By the time of Antonio Guaineri (died in 1440<ref>Luke DeMaitre Template:Google books</ref>) and Savonarola, this work was used alongside others by Oribasius, Isidore of Seville, Mondino dei Liuzzi, Serapion, and Pietro d'Abano. Then, as now, writers struggled with the terminology used in various translations from earlier Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic works. Later works by Jacques Desparts and Jacopo Berengario da Carpi continued building on the Synonyma.<ref>Danielle Jacquart,
Theory, everyday practice, and three fifteenth-century physicians,
Osiris,
1990,
Vol. 6,
pp. 140–160,
DOI: 10.1086/368698,</ref><ref>{{{last}}},
Jacobi Partibus,
Summula per alphabetum super plurimis remediis et ipsius. online version,
1500,</ref>
Definitions
In medical dictionaries, definitions should to the greatest extent possible be:
Simple and easy to understand,<ref name=McPherson1998>,
A new definition of children with special health care needs,
Pediatrics,
1998,
Vol. 102(Issue: 1 Pt 1),
pp. 137–140,
DOI: 10.1542/peds.102.1.137,
PMID: 9714637,</ref> preferably even by the general public<ref name=Morse1992>,
The Definition of Alcoholism,
JAMA,
1992,
Vol. 268(Issue: 8),
pp. 1012–1014,
DOI: 10.1001/jama.1992.03490080086030,
PMID: 1501306,</ref>
Useful clinically<ref name=Morse1992/> or in related areas where the definition will be used.<ref name=McPherson1998/>
Specific,<ref name=McPherson1998/> that is, by reading the definition only, it should ideally not be possible to refer to any other entity than the one being defined.
Measurable<ref name=McPherson1998/>
Reflecting current scientific knowledge<ref name=McPherson1998/><ref name=Morse1992/>
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